00:01:14.120Well, Mr. Director, obviously a lot has changed since the last time you and I spoke right there on the south lawn of the White House.
00:01:21.440I've just gotten back from Minneapolis myself.
00:01:24.160Human Events does have a crew that's there on the field.
00:01:27.700What can you tell us about these operations in Minneapolis that the entire country is talking about?
00:01:33.940And specifically, I guess I would say, what do you think that the media is getting wrong about the narrative here?
00:01:41.560You know, I think the first thing, Jack, that the mainstream media is really missing the point on is the fact that they're kind of painting this as an invasion of the Department of Homeland Security resources.
00:01:52.480Right. That there's such a big surge, you know, an overreach of the government.
00:01:57.700But what I think a lot of people are losing sight on is two really key things.
00:02:03.400Number one, the reason what got us there in the first place.
00:02:07.640The fraudulent behaviors when it came to the Smalley fraud, daycare fraud, social welfare fraud, at the tune of almost $9 billion, right?
00:02:16.640So we did front load a lot of Homeland Security investigations, special agents up there for that.
00:02:22.660Number two, obviously Minnesota, Minneapolis in general, is a sanctuary city.
00:02:27.700So, we were already conducting our lawful law enforcement missions while we were out there.
00:02:32.700You know, ICE has always been in Minnesota for, ever since the inception of ICE, I would say for
00:02:38.480two decades plus, we've had a field office for enforcement removal operations, as well as
00:02:45.060a SAC office, special agent in charge, for homeland security investigations up there.
00:02:50.200So, we've always been in Minnesota. So, we have seen such an increase of criminally illegal aliens
00:02:56.820that were not turned over to ICE or other federal authorities and re-released back onto the streets
00:03:02.660of not only Minneapolis, but Minnesota. So we were already there conducting our law enforcement
00:03:08.620mission. Now, you take those two parts and incorporate the fact that what the mainstream
00:03:15.300media is showing is our reaction to all the protesters, the violent agitators, the vehicle
00:03:24.320ramings, etc., after us getting on scene and trying to arrest one of these criminal legal
00:03:29.940aliens. We usually make an arrest, five, six special agents, deportation officers.
00:03:36.800Now we're having to go out with almost 15 law enforcement officers just to provide security
00:03:44.400for that team making that arrest. So obviously, Minneapolis police were not coming to our help.
00:03:51.840Minnesota State Police weren't coming to our help.
00:03:54.560You know, yesterday there was a press conference from the Attorney General, Keith Ellison,
00:04:01.020and from the mayor that talked about the reason why they were suing DHS.
00:04:05.780And they highlighted the fact that we're not in Texas or Florida or Utah.
00:04:10.800Well, what I say to that is when we do conduct our operations down there,
00:04:17.460A, they are turning individuals over to us.
00:04:20.100And B, if we have a situation like this, local and state law enforcement partners come to our aid and help federal law enforcement offices.
00:04:29.920So there are so many incidents that the mainstream media is showing that it's just totally unavoidable because of these violent agitators and protesters that are being fueled by such political rhetoric all across this country.
00:04:44.500Now, Director Lyons, I've got some of the stats here as well.
00:04:47.800And the numbers that I'm looking at and correct me if I'm wrong, but it says Minnesota and Minneapolis officials have refused to honor over one thousand three hundred sixty ice detainers.
00:05:00.480And for folks who don't understand this, the way detainer works is that means someone who's been arrested for something else that they just hold on to hold on to them in custody and then remand them to ice.
00:05:11.720Now, because they're not honoring these detainers, that's the reason why these operations have to take place.
00:05:19.160But because in other states where you do have that level of local law enforcement cooperation, or I should say really local political cooperation, because that seems to be what the hang up is, these these handoffs can happen at a jailhouse.
00:05:32.760It can happen at a courthouse, a prison site, something where it's safe, it's controlled.
00:05:37.580But now when they're just letting them out into the public, that's what's creating such a dangerous situation, not just for your agents and officers in ICE, HSI, but also for the public at large.
00:05:48.340Do I have that right? It's almost fifteen hundred that they haven't honored.
00:05:53.420Yep. Almost fifteen hundred. If you look at it right, Jack, make a great point to the fact that I would much rather have the men and women of ICE go into a secure location.
00:06:01.980YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THEY DON'T WANT TO HOLD THEM THE 24, 48 HOURS FOR US TO GET THERE,
00:06:07.980JUST NOTIFY US THAT, HEY, IN THE NEXT TWO HOURS WE'RE GOING TO RELEASE THIS INDIVIDUAL
00:06:55.820SECRETARY NOEM'S RIDE-ALONG WITH US UP IN ST. PAUL AND THE CASE THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTED,
00:07:03.900IT WAS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS LETTING IN THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.
00:07:08.540IT WAS KNOWN AT THE TIME THAT HE HAD A CONVICTION OF 10 YEARS PLUS FOR KIDNAPPING
00:07:15.180STRANGULATION AND HE WAS WANTED IN ECUADOR FOR MURDER. HE CAME INTO THE UNITED STATES,
00:07:21.180He is accused of sexual assault of a child in Connecticut, fled Connecticut with this open warrant.
00:07:27.900It was now roaming the streets, working, hiding in plain sight in Minneapolis.
00:07:32.040I don't know anybody that wants to argue with me on the fact that ICE isn't protecting children
00:07:38.440and protecting neighborhoods when we're out arresting people just like that.
00:07:41.400And that's the 1300 that you talk about.
00:07:43.680You know, same day the Secretary Noam was out there.
00:07:45.340We had two individuals that were released from Rice County, which is close by.
00:07:49.840They had been released for aggravated sexual assault of a minor.
00:07:55.680So why would any politician want that individual back in their neighborhood?
00:08:02.820And we see this again and again, just just like the one out in Portland where, you know, at first we hear that it was a man and woman.
00:08:11.320Now, it turns out there are a couple of Trendy Aragua linked, some kind of sex trafficking operation, just just some of the most horrible stuff that you see going on.
00:08:21.120And it's clear, by the way, and I remember the last time you came on, that's exactly what we talked about.
00:08:26.280You said that's the worst go first, that those are the individuals that are going to be focused on.
00:08:31.500This isn't people who are just sort of, you know, running around.
00:08:35.360It's actually people who have committed these heinous, violent crimes.
00:08:39.280Now, when we look at that, Rick Ford, you mentioned the ramming attacks, and I wanted to drill down on that a little bit.
00:08:45.340Obviously, we've seen the incident that's gone throughout the country, throughout the world.
00:08:51.000But tell people about the ramming attacks that have gone on as a persistent trend, because this isn't the first time we've seen something like this, is it?
00:08:59.720No, and unfortunately, it's really increased.
00:09:02.380Within the past several weeks, we can narrow it down to the past three weeks.